Versor Investments LP Reduces Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Versor Investments LP lessened its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 40.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,067 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,433 shares during the quarter. Versor Investments LP’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $531,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMAT. Grandfield & Dodd LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Grandfield & Dodd LLC now owns 269,511 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $55,180,000 after buying an additional 17,397 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,101,772 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $635,057,000 after buying an additional 145,050 shares during the last quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 82.2% in the 3rd quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan now owns 26,893 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $5,512,000 after buying an additional 12,132 shares during the last quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 21.8% in the 3rd quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 96,712 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $19,801,000 after buying an additional 17,288 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter worth about $1,531,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AMAT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered Applied Materials from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. UBS Group raised their price target on Applied Materials from $430.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. HSBC began coverage on Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $517.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Twenty-eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $384.52.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $436.61 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $346.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.66. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $153.47 and a 1-year high of $448.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $375.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $317.13.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.38 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 11.16 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.70%.

Insider Activity at Applied Materials

In related news, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 26,089 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,322.19. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 534 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.16, for a total value of $202,471.44. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,615. The trade was a 10.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup reportedly raised its price target on Applied Materials, adding to a cluster of analyst upgrades that point to confidence in the company’s AI-chip exposure and earnings outlook. Citi massively revamps Applied Materials stock price target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting strong demand in DRAM and logic, with Applied Materials’ semiconductor systems business benefiting from foundry and AI infrastructure spending ahead of earnings. AMAT’s Q2 Results to Benefit From Traction in DRAM and Logic
• Positive Sentiment: New coverage and commentary continue to frame AMAT as a key AI infrastructure winner, with articles and TV mentions emphasizing a semiconductor equipment shortage and Applied Materials’ deepening role in chip manufacturing. How Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Deepening Its Role in AI Chip Manufacturing
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching Thursday’s earnings closely, with several previews suggesting the stock could make a big move depending on whether results and guidance confirm the AI-driven rally. Dear Applied Materials Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for May 14
• Negative Sentiment: One broader market warning from a top chartist said U.S. tech stocks are at their highest concentration since the 2000 bubble, a reminder that AMAT’s recent strength could face valuation and sentiment risk if the AI trade cools. Wall Street’s Top Chartist Warns US Tech Stocks Now At Highest Concentration Since the 2000 Bubble

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a U.S.-based supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat panel displays and other advanced materials. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company designs and sells capital equipment and related technologies that enable production of integrated circuits, display panels and materials used across the electronics supply chain.

Applied Materials’ offerings include process equipment and factory software that support critical steps in device fabrication, such as deposition, etch, implantation, inspection and metrology, as well as systems for packaging and advanced heterogeneous integration.